Tucker/Hall president Bill Carlson (FL, '12) contemplating run for Tampa City Council in 2019

Bill Carlson, a Tampa Democratic Party activist and the president of the Tucker/Hall public relations firm, is considering a run for the South Tampa District 4 seat in 2019.

“I’ve been involved behind the scenes in a number of the most important issues in Tampa Bay, and people have been encouraging me for years to run for political office, so finally I’m seriously considering running for that seat,” Carlson said Thursday night.

Among those behind-the-scenes issues that Carlson was involved with in recent years was a push (along with Jason Busto and the late Steve Burton) to modernize the workings of Tampa International Airport and press for more direct international flights. That ultimately led to the ouster of former airport CEO Louis Miller in 2010, and the hiring of Joe Lopano.

Carlson also has been involved in efforts to push for more trade and improved relations between Tampa and Cuba over the years. He says he wants to make Port Tampa Bay the U.S. hub for trade with Cuba and Asia through the Panama Canal and the Cuba transshipment hub.

Carlson, 50, has worked at Tucker/Hall for the past 23 years, the last decade as president of the agency. He’s also the co-founder of Cafe Con Tampa, a Friday morning forum where lawmakers, public officials and major members of the community hold discussions with local residents. The event has moved in the past year to the Oxford Exchange, where they’ve attracted some of their largest audiences.